


Against Destiny

by StaciNadia



Category: Bleach, Dragon Ball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Breaking the Fourth Wall, F/M, Getting Together, Not Canon Compliant - Bleach Chapter 686 - Death & Strawberry, One-Sided Inoue Orihime/Kurosaki Ichigo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-27
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-09-27 06:07:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9979742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StaciNadia/pseuds/StaciNadia
Summary: Ichigo is not happy with his destiny.





	

**Author's Note:**

> The second (very late) gift for my 100 followers celebration on Tumblr! Rythik78 requested an IchiRuki fic where Goku and Ichigo talk about how unhappy Ichigo is with how Bleach ended, and then he corrects that mistake.
> 
> The World Between Worlds was inspired by that central area where all the arcade characters go after the arcade closes in Wreck-It Ralph. And "the narrative" is the canon storyline created for the characters by their respective authors/manga creators which everyone follows.

Goku entered the World Between Worlds and let out a sigh of relief as the tension began to leave his body. He was exhausted after some intense battles that lasted for days and he wanted to relax at the café here before returning home to his wife and children. 

The World Between Worlds was a place that radiated peace and calmness in the midst of a series of worlds where fighting often reigned supreme. Goku’s home world involved incredibly strong beings from many different planets fighting each other. He enjoyed fighting more than just about anything, but it was important to rest up, especially if Chichi had chores or something else for him to do when he got home. 

He strode toward the small café and entered. It was a cheerful place that wasn’t overly bright with about a dozen tables strewn throughout. Just a couple of tables had people seated at them, talking quietly amongst themselves. There was one server who was waiting behind the bar for someone to order something. 

Goku instantly recognized the distinctive head of spiky hair on one orange-haired young man sitting slumped at a table tucked away in a corner. It was that Kurosaki kid, Ichigo, who used a huge sword to fight weird spirit beings with white masks in his home world. He went over to the kid to go talk to him when he happened to glance up and looked right up at Goku.

He looked absolutely miserable. His eyes had lost their shine and they were red-rimmed as if he‘d been crying. The frown on his face looked as if it had been there for a long time. There were red marks on his face from continuously resting his head on his hands or arms. Goku had never seen the kid looking like this before.

“Hey, what’s wrong, Ichigo?” Goku asked, sitting on the stool beside the orange-haired kid.

Ichigo’s head raised up again and he propped it up against one of his hands. “Oh, hey, Goku,” he muttered, looking away from the older man.

The two sat there in silence for a few minutes, Ichigo looking in a random direction and Goku watching him with concern.

Finally, Ichigo spoke. “Have you always been happy with your narrative?”

Goku blinked in surprise, then pondered the question. The narrative was what each person was supposed to do with their lives, and pretty much nobody ever went against their narrative. And Goku really had a very good life that went along with his desires and personality despite any bad things that may have happened. “Sure,” he shrugged. “I mean, I didn’t like that my grandfather died, but overall, I think things have gone pretty good for me! I even got a wife, even though I didn’t really understand what marriage was at first!” He laughed with a grin, remembering a young Chichi asking him to marry her when he was older.

Ichigo smiled weakly. “Well, I used to like my narrative, too, for the most part until I found out I have to marry a girl I don’t want to. And the wedding is next week.”

Goku tilted his head to the side. “Why don’t you want to? Isn‘t the girl nice, someone who would be a good wife? Is she a bad cook or something? Can she not fight?”

Ichigo shuddered. “Yeah, she’s nice, and she’d make someone a good wife, and she protects us when we’re fighting, but I don’t love her,” Ichigo sighed, his head falling into his hands once again. “There’s… someone else. Someone I’ve loved for a long time…” He shook his head. “It’s just a big _mess!_ ” He pounded a fist on the table, startling Goku. “Why can’t I marry Rukia? She‘s the one I have a connection to!”

Goku sat there thinking. Everyone he’d encountered in his own universe was happy to follow their narrative, even if it ended in their demise, because they were being true to themselves. In other worlds, could it be possible that there were narratives that didn’t make sense? What would he have done if he truly didn’t want to marry Chichi and live with her and their children? He couldn’t even imagine it.

“I don’t think anyone ever went against their narrative in my world,” Goku said thoughtfully. “But if anyone had a narrative that went against everything they believed, I’d say they should fight it! Everyone‘s narrative should follow their beliefs, even if it turns out badly.” He put a hand on Ichigo’s shoulder. “You should be true to yourself, Ichigo,” he said with a nod.

The kid sat there staring openmouthed at Goku for a few moments, then his eyes lit up and a grin appeared on his face. “You’re right, Goku! I’m going to be true to myself and marry the girl I love!” He immediately got up and rushed out of the café and presumably went back to his own world.

Goku closed his eyes and smiled. He was glad he could help out. Now it was time to think about what he was going to order…

**********

Ichigo felt invigorated after his discussion with Goku. Everyone should agree with their narrative, their destiny, and he most certainly didn’t. He was going to be true to himself and make his own destiny, like Goku had said. With a new hope building in him, he rushed back to his own world.

The first place Ichigo went to was Orihime’s small apartment. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

Orihime opened the door wearing an apron. “Ichigo!” she beamed. “I wasn’t expecting you today! Come on in!” She waved him inside. “I was just making some red bean paste sandwiches! Would you like some?”

Ichigo remained in the doorway, though. “Orihime…” 

“What is it, Ichigo?” she asked, concerned.

He closed his eyes for a moment, then decided to just blurt it out. “I’m sorry, Orihime, but I can’t marry you. I care about you, and you’re my friend, but there is someone else who I love, and I need to marry her.”

When he opened his eyes again, Orihime’s head was bowed, her long hair cascading over her shoulders. “Orihime?” he asked hesitantly, unsure if he should touch her.

Finally, Orihime raised her head, revealing the tears streaking down her cheeks. “It’s Rukia, isn’t it?” she asked quietly. “I was always jealous of the looks you gave her. She was always more important to you than I was, wasn’t she?” Her voice didn’t break once.

“Yes,” he admitted, feeling lighter and more confident every time he said it. 

There was silence for a few moments, then Orihime said so softly that Ichigo almost didn’t hear her, “You should go to her.”

“Orihime?”

“You love Rukia, so you should go and be with her,” Orihime said, her voice a bit stronger. She gave a small smile through her tears. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay. I think I’ll call Tatsuki and see if she can hang out with me.”

Ichigo nodded. “Thanks, Orihime!” And with that, he ran off towards Urahara’s shop.

He never heard the soft sobs coming from Orihime’s apartment.

**********

After pretty much demanding that Urahara open a Senkaimon for him to get to Soul Society immediately, Ichigo stood where the Senkaimon had dropped him off in Seireitei, realizing that he had no idea where Rukia was. She could be in the Thirteenth Division, at Kuchiki Manor, or just walking around somewhere. He wished that he was better at sensing reiatsu so he could locate her. He decided it was best to just flash step around Seireitei in the hopes of running into her.

It wasn‘t long before he spotted her standing under a tree in the Thirteenth Division. “Rukia,” he said as he came to a stop in front of her, sagging in relief.

Rukia looked up at him in surprise. “Ichigo, what are you doing here? There was nothing for you to be summoned here for as far as I know.”

Ichigo shook his head. “I had to come see you. I got Urahara to open a Senkaimon for me.”

“Well, what is it you wanted to see me about?” Rukia asked, nudging Ichigo in the side with her elbow, an expectant look upon her face.

Ichigo dropped to his knees so that he was at eye-level with Rukia. “Rukia,” he said, taking her hands in his.

Rukia slapped his hands away as a pretty blush appeared on her cheeks. “Ichigo, what are you doing, you idiot?” she hissed. “You’re about to marry Orihime in a week!” She backed away from Ichigo, her shoulders slumped.

The orange-haired boy merely shook his head. “No, I’m not. I told her I didn’t want to marry her. I want to marry someone else, if she’d have me.” He stood and slowly approached Rukia again, then gently took her hand.

“Are… are you _serious?_ ” the petite shinigami sputtered, her violet eyes widening. “But… that’s not our narrative,” she whispered, biting her lip as she looked down at their joined hands. 

“No, it’s not,” Ichigo agreed. “But our narratives shouldn’t make us unhappy. I talked to someone today who taught me that.” He looked into Rukia’s eyes with all the feelings he held for her. “If our destiny makes us unhappy, then we should make our own destiny. And I want to make my destiny with you, Rukia Kuchiki.”

Rukia’s eyes shone with unshed tears. “Ichigo, you idiot,” she said fondly, a smile growing on her face. “Well, come on and kiss me!”

And he did.

**Author's Note:**

> Even though this is an IchiRuki story, Orihime is my favorite female character in Bleach, and I tried to be as respectful as I could be towards her.
> 
> Come visit me on my [Tumblr](http://stacinadia.tumblr.com/)!


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